State Minister Abeysinghe on the right track about passenger transport

On 24 June 2019, Divaina reported State Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Ashok Abeysinghe making the following claims:

1. The number of passengers travelling by train is about 400,000.

2. 75% of passenger bus transport is done by the private sector and 25% is done in Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Performance Report for 2018 (TCAPR) and statistics from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MTCA) website are the sources used for this factcheck.

With regard to the first claim, the number of passengers who travelled by train in 2018 was 137.51 million (TCAPR). This means the daily average of passengers in 2018 was 376,740. The same statistic has also been reported as 367,000 passengers a day in another source (MTCA). The minister has reported the rounded off figure of “about 400,000.”

With regard to the second claim, Exhibit 1 (MTCA) shows that from 2016 to 2018, 23.03% of passenger transport was carried out by SLTB buses and 76.97% by private buses. The minister has reported the rounded

off figures of 25% and 75%.

Therefore, we classify the minister’s claims as TRUE.

Exhibit 1: Passenger bus transport 2016 - 2018 (million passenger kilometers)

Official website of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, National Transport Commission, ‘Private Bus Operational (Inter & Intra Provincial)’, available at: http:// www.transport.gov.lk/web/ index.php?option=com_con tent&view=article&id=27& Itemid=147&lang=en#priva te-bus-operational-data-interintra-provincial [last accessed: 06 August 2019]

Official website of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Sri Lanka Transport Board, ‘Basic Information’, available at: http://www. transport.gov.lk/web/index. php?option=com_content&vi ew=article&id=25&itemid=14 5&lang=en#basic-information [last accessed: 06 August 2019]

*Factcheck’s verdict is based on the most recent information that is publicly accessible. As with every fact check, if new information becomes available, Factcheck will revisit the assessment.

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